This abandoned island in Japan is called Hashima Island. It is man-made and was once a mecca for undersea coal mining. It was a sharp representation of Japan's rapid industrialization. Also known as Gunkanjima (meaning Battleship Island) for its resemblance to a Japanese battleship, Hashima functioned as a coal facility from 1887 until 1974.
During World War II, the history of the island is darker as Japanese wartime mobilization policies exploited enlisted Korean civilians and Chinese prisoners of war as forced laborers, making them work under harsh conditions. An estimated 1,000 people died as a result.
After the war, once the coal reserves started depleting and petroleum began replacing coal, the mines shut down, and the people left.
Today it's completely abandoned. As a tourist site, the island was named a UNESCO World Heritage Historical Site in 2015, and groups of visitors can be taken on tours.
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